Author: Tom Patriot

Drinking coffee is “more likely to benefit health than to harm it” for a range of health outcomes, say researchers in The BMJ today. They bring together evidence from over 200 studies and find that drinking three to four cups of coffee a day is associated with a lower risk of death and getting heart disease compared with drinking no coffee. Coffee drinking is also associated with lower risk of some cancers, diabetes, liver disease and dementia. However, they say drinking coffee in pregnancy may be associated with harms, and may be…

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Recent studies have shown that approximately 90 percent of adult Americans fail to reach the U.S. Department of Health guidelines for physical activity, which could be contributing to surging obesity rates. Now, new research by a multidisciplinary team of University of Missouri researchers suggests that physical activity can change diet preferences in males, but not in females — an area that researchers say has not been thoroughly studied. “Our team wanted to make every effort to study female perspectives on how exercise affects diet, because most other studies neglect females,”…

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A combination of reduced sodium intake and the DASH diet lowers blood pressure in adults with hypertension, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2017, a premier global exchange of the latest advances in cardiovascular science for researchers and clinicians. The study followed 412 adults with systolic blood pressures in four categories: less than 130 mmHg; between 130 and 139 mmHg; between 140 and 159 mmHg; and 150 or higher mmHg. They were either on low-sodium or DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diets for…

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